Methodology for Rare Earth Element Determinations of Uranium Oxides by Ion Microprobe

A methodology for the determination of the rare earth elements in uranium oxides by ion microprobe has been set up on a Cameca ims-3f instrument. An uranium oxide reference material from a syn-metamorphic uranium deposit related to albitisation has also been developed for this type of analysis. Applications of the methodology are presented for a series of uranium oxides selected from some major uranium deposit types: from the world's highest grade unconformity-related uranium deposit from the Athabasca Basin (Saskatchewan, Canada; the Shea Creek and the McArthur River examples), a perigranitic vein-type deposit (Pen Ar Ran, Vendée, France) and a volcanic caldera-related deposit (Streltsovkoye, Transbaikalia, Russia). Each type of uranium deposit appears to have a specific REE signature. All REE patterns from the Shea Creek and the McArthur deposits are characterised by bell-shaped patterns centred on Tb-Dy and similar to those already published for uranium oxides from unconformity-related deposits from Australia. Such bell-shaped REE patterns centred on Tb-Dy may therefore be considered as a typical signature of uranium oxides from Mesoproterozoic unconformity-related deposits. A smoother bell shape pattern centred on Eu characterises the syn-metamorphic albitisation related deposit of Mistamisk selected for the reference material. The REE patterns from the Pen Ar Ran deposit show a fractionation from LREE to HREE with anomalously high abundances of Sm, Eu and Gd with respect to the other REEs, similar to the REE patterns of uranium oxides from the volcanic-related deposits of Streltsovkoye.     

Experimental study on the flow around two tandem cylinders with unequal diameters

In this paper, flow around two circular cylinders in tandem arrangement with unequal diameters has been investigated using the particle image velocimetry technique (PIV) in a water channel. The upstream to downstream diameter ratio was kept constant at d/D = 2/3, the centre-to-centre distance was varied from 1.2D to 5D and the Reynolds number was varied from 1200 to 4800. The flow characteristics were analyzed through ensemble-averaged patterns of velocity, vorticity, normalized Reynolds stress contours and streamlines. Based on ensemble-averaged and instantaneous flow fields, different flow patterns, including single-wake-shedding at small spacing ratio, bi-stable flow behavior (alternating behavior of reattachment and vortex shedding) at intermediate spacing ratio and co-shedding pattern at large spacing ratio were observed. The effects of Reynolds number and the centre-to-centre spacing ratio on flow patterns and turbulent characteristics were also investigated. It was found that the diameter ratio appears to have a certain effect on the flow patterns at intermediate spacing ratios, where the reattachment of shear layer depends on the lateral width of the wake flow in the lee of the upstream cylinder. Extensive discussion on the distributions of Reynolds stress and turbulent kinetic energy was presented.     

Phase equilibrium investigations of the Adirondack class basalts from the Gusev plains,Gusev crater,Mars

Abstract— Phase equilibrium experiments have been performed on a synthetic analog of the Gusev plains basalt composition from the Spirit landing site on Mars. Near‐liquidus phase relations were determined over the pressure range of 0.1 to 1.5 GPa and at temperatures from 1125 to 1390 °C in a piston cylinder apparatus and 1 atm gas mixing furnace. The composition is multiply saturated with olivine, orthopyroxene, and spinel near its liquidus at 1320 °C and 1.0 GPa, or 85 km depth on Mars, placing an upper limit constraint on the thickness of the Martian lithosphere at the time of eruption. Our experimental work suggests that the Gusev basalts are anhydrous batch melts of a primitive Martian mantle similar to the composition estimated by Dreibus and Wänke (1984). The temperature of multiple saturation indicates the persistence of high mantle potential temperatures on Mars, similar to those on the modern Earth, until at least the very latest Noachian (3.7 Ga). These high mantle temperatures would be responsible for persistent basaltic volcanism throughout the southern highlands during the first billion years of Mars's history. The source for Gusev basalts differs strongly from the source for shergottite meteorites, reinforcing the idea of the absence of global mantle convection and mixing on Mars. The existence of a relatively primitive mantle reservoir requires that at least part of the mantle underwent little modification during early planetary differentiation.     

F and G Taylor series solutions to the Stark and Kepler problems with Sundman transformations

The classic $F$ and $G$ Taylor series of Keplerian motion are extended to solve the Stark problem and to use the generalized Sundman transformation. Exact recursion formulas for the series coefficients are derived, and the method is implemented to high order via a symbolic manipulator. The results lead to fast and accurate propagation models with efficient discretizations. The new $F$ and $G$ Stark series solutions are compared to the Modern Taylor Series (MTS) and 8th order Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg (RKF8) solutions. In terms of runtime, the $F$ and $G$ approach is shown to compare favorably to the MTS method up to order 20, and both Taylor series methods enjoy approximate order of magnitude speedups compared to RKF8 implementations. Actual runtime is shown to vary with eccentricity, perturbation size, prescribed accuracy, and the Sundman power law. The method and results are valid for both the Stark and the Kepler problems. The effects of the generalized Sundman transformation on the accuracy of the propagation are analyzed. The Taylor series solutions are shown to be exceptionally efficient when the unity power law from the classic Sundman transformation is applied. An example low-thrust trajectory propagation demonstrates the utility of the $F$ and $G$ Stark series solutions.     

Evaluating the Potential of an Airborne Laser-scanning System for Measuring Volume Changes of Glaciers

Airborne laser scanning (ALS) is well suited for the production of digital elevation models (DEM), and can, in contrast to photographic methods, be used to acquire a DEM independently of surface texture and external light sources. ALS thus serves as a tool to generate DEMs of firn areas where photogram- metric methods often fail.
The potential of an integrated ALS system – comprising a laser scanner, precise differential global positioning system, and a gyro platform – for DEM generation of firn areas is currently being assessed. The Unteraargletscher, Bernese Alps, Switzerland, has been chosen as a test site. As part of a pilot project aimed at determining the mass balance distribution of that glacier without the use of in situ information, ALS measurements were conducted in autumn 1997. The DEM derived from laser measurements is extremely sensitive to the position and attitude of the aircraft. Currently the main work focuses on assessing and improving the system's accuracy by error modelling and by the development of error-correction algorithms.
Preliminary results from Unteraargletscher are presented, and the potential of this method for the generation of DEMs of firn areas is discussed.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the vibrational properties of diaspore (α-AlOOH)

Vibrational properties of diaspore, α-AlOOH, have been re-investigated using room-temperature single-crystal Raman spectroscopy and low-temperature powder infrared (IR) transmission spectroscopy. First-principles harmonic calculations based on density functional theory provide a convincing assignment of the major Raman peaks and infrared absorption bands. The large width of the Raman band related to OH stretching modes is ascribed to mode–mode anharmonic coupling due to medium-strength H-bonding. Additional broadening in the powder IR spectrum arises from depolarization effects in powder particles. The temperature dependence of the IR spectrum provides a further insight into the anharmonic properties of diaspore. Based on their frequency and temperature behavior, narrow absorption features at ~2,000 cm⁻¹ and anti-resonance at ~2,966 cm⁻¹ in the IR spectrum are interpreted as overtones of fundamental bending bands.     

Anharmonicity of inner-OH stretching modes in hydrous phyllosilicates: assessment from first-principles frozen-phonon calculations

The theoretical anharmonicity of the inner-OH stretching modes of kaolinite and lizardite is determined using a frozen-phonon approach. The anharmonicity parameter, defined as the difference between half the first overtone frequency and the frequency of the fundamental transition, is −95 and −92 cm⁻¹ for kaolinite and lizardite, respectively. These values are consistent with the experimental measurements. The very good agreement usually observed between harmonic calculations of vibrational frequencies at the density functional theory (DFT) level, using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA), and experimental positions of vibrational bands results from the fortuitous, but almost exact, cancelation of two types of errors. One is related to the GGA approximation and the other to the neglect of anharmonicity.     

Théorie des oscillations annuelles et diurnes de la température à la surface des continents et des océans

Résumé On détermine analytiquement les températures absoluesT (z, t) etT (z, t) dans l'air et dans le substrat terrestre, au voisinage de la surface de séparation de ces milieux, sous la condition que le rayonnement global varie dans le temps selon une fonction périodique simple ou quelconque. A cette fin, on s'attache à résoudre le système des deux équations de la chaleur dans l'air et dans le substrat terrestre en tenant compte de toutes les conditions physiques déterminantes du problème. Celles-ci interviennent dans l'équation énergétique aux limites pour le plan de séparationz=0. Un minimum d'hypothèses simplificatrices confère une plus haute valeur pratique aux résultats. Leur limitation principale réside dans le fait que les diffusivités turbulentesK etK _w de l'air et de l'Océan sont supposées constantes. On retrouve le résultat classique selon lequel l'onde thermique est déphasée sur le rayonnement global et jouit d'une amplitude proportionnelle à celle de ce rayonnement. Toutefois, l'amortissement thermique et le déphasage dépendent cette fois de la somme + des «propriétés thermiques» du substrat et de l'air, et étant alternativement dominant selon qu'il s'agit des Continents ou des Océans. Dans ce dernier cas, la théorie des oscillations thermiques est traitée d'abord en admettant l'existence d'une couche d'eau isothermique. On établit ensuite la théorie plus réaliste qui considère à la fois la diffusivité thermique turbulenteK _w et le coefficient d'extinctionq du rayonnement global dans l'Océan. Le point de départ de la théorie est l'équation de la chaleur dans un milieu semi-transparent. Les résultats montrent que l'onde thermique de surface subit un amortissement complémentaire dû au facteurq, le déphasage sur le rayonnement global pouvant atteindre 91 jours alors que cette limite n'est que de 45 jours pour les Continents. La discussion des résultats théoriques montre leur bon accord quantitatif avec les faits observés. On termine par quelques applications de la théorie; on montre notamment que celle-ci valide rationnellement la théorie astronomique des phases climatiques quaternaires.

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Summary Absolute temperaturesT (z, t) andT (z, t) near the interface of air and terrestrial substratum are analytically determined, under the condition that the total radiation varies with time according to a simple or to any other periodic function. To achieve this, the system of two equations of heat in air and terrestrial substratum is resolved in taking into account all the determining physical conditions of the problem. These conditions are considered in the energy boundary equation for the surface of separationz=0. A minimum number of simplifying hypotheses give a higher practical value to the results whose principal limitation lies in the fact that eddy conductivitiesK andK _w of air and ocean water are supposed to be constant. The classical result that the thermal wave differs in phase from the total radiation and gives an amplitude proportional to that radiation is confirmed. However, the thermal damping and the lag in phase depend here of the sum + of the thermal properties of the substratum and the air, and being preponderant for continents and oceans respectively. In the last case, the theory of thermal oscillations is first studied with the aid of the hypothesis of an isothermal water layer. Then a more realistic theory is established which considers in addition the eddy diffusivityK _w and the extinction coefficientq of the total radiation in the ocean. The basis of the theory is the heat equation for a semi-transparent medium. The results show that the surface thermal wave suffers a further damping due toq. In addition, the maximum temperature may lag behind the maximum radiation by as much as 91 days as against a maximum of 45 days for the continents. The discussion of the theoretical results shows their good quantitative agreement with the observations. Some practical applications of the theory are given. For example the validity of the astronomical theory of the climatic changes during the Quaternary period is rationally justified.

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Zusammenfassung Die absoluten TemperatureT (z, t) undT (z, t) von Luft und terrestrischer Unterlage in der Nähe der Trennschicht der beiden Medien werden analytisch bestimmt mit der Bedingung, daß die Globalstrahlung nach einer einfachen oder einer beliebigen periodischen Funktion mit der Zeit variiert. Zu diesem Zweck wird versucht, under Berücksichtigung aller bestimmenden physikalischen Bedingungen des Problems das System der beiden Wärmegleichungen für Luft und für das terrestrische Substrat zu lösen. Diese gehen in der Energiegleichung für die Grenzbédingungen der Trennflächez=0 ineinander über. Ein Minimum an vereinfachenden Hypothesen erhöht den praktischen Wert der Resultate; die Annahme der Konstanz des AustauschkoeffizientenA=K undA _w = _w A _w der Luft und des Ozeans bildet die wichtigste Einschränkung. Das klassische Resultat, nach dem die Wärmewelle zur Globalstrahlung in Phase verschoben und ihre Amplitude proportional zur Strahlungsamplitude ist, wird bestätigt. Die Abschwächung der thermischen Amplitude sowie die Phasenverschiebung hängen aber von der Summe + der thermischen Eigenschaften der Unterlage und der Luft ab; wobei oder überwiegt, je nachdem es sich um die Kontinente oder die Ozeane handelt. Für den letzteren Fall Wird die Theorie der Wärmeschwankungen zuerst unter der Annahme der Existenz einer isothermen Wasserschicht behandelt. Hernach wird die allgemeiner gültige Theorie entwickelt, welche gleichzeitig den TurbulenzaustauschA _w und den Extinktionskoeffizientenq der Globalstrahlung im Ozean in Betracht zieht. Den Ausgangspunkt für die Theorie bildet die Wärmegleichung für ein Strahlungsdurchlässiges Medium. Die Resultate zeigen, daß die Oberflächenwärmewelle eine Abschwächung entsprechend dem Faktorq erfährt; dabei kann die Phasenverschiebung gegenüber der Globalstrahlung 91 Tage erreichen, während die maximale Verschiebung für die Kontinente nur 45 Tage beträgt. Die Vergleichung der theoretischen Resultate ergibt deren gute quantitative Übereinstimmung mit den Beobachtungstatsachen. Zum Schluß werden einige Anwendungen der Theorie gebracht; so wird z. B. gezeigt, daß diese eine sinngemäße Rechtfertigung der Gültigkeit der astronomischen Theorie der quaternären klimatischen Phasen gestattet.

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Institut belge pour l'Encouragement de la Recherche Scientifique Outre-Mer (IBERSOM), 3, rue Montoyer, Bruxelles, Belgique.     

Métabasites de la cordillère occidentale d'Équateur,témoins du soubassement océanique des Andes d'Équateur

The building-up of the Andean Range is linked to the subduction of the Pacific lithosphere beneath the South American plate. However, the formation of the Central Andes is marked by continental crustal shortening, whereas accretion and underplating of exotic oceanic terranes occurred in the northern Andes. The study of various magmatic and metamorphic rocks exhumed in the Western Cordillera of Ecuador by Miocene transpressive faults enables us to constrain the nature and thermal evolution of the crustal root of this part of Ecuador. These rocks are geochemically similar to oceanic plateau basalts. The thermobarometric peak conditions of a granulite and an amphibolite indicate temperatures of 800–850?°C and pressures less than 6–9 kbar (lack of garnet). The abnormally high geothermal gradient (≈40?°C?km^?1) is probably due to the activity of the magmatic arc, which developed on the accreted oceanic terranes after Late Eocene times, and may have provoked the re-mobilisation of deeply underplated oceanic material during the genesis of the Neogene to Recent arc. To cite this article: É. Beaudon et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Accreted fragments of the Late Cretaceous Caribbean–Colombian Plateau in Ecuador

The eastern part of the Western Cordillera of Ecuador includes fragments of an Early Cretaceous (≈123 Ma) oceanic plateau accreted around 85–80 Ma (San Juan–unit). West of this unit and in fault contact with it, another oceanic plateau sequence (Guaranda unit) is marked by the occurrence of picrites, ankaramites, basalts, dolerites and shallow level gabbros. A comparable unit is also exposed in northwestern coastal Ecuador (Pedernales unit).

Picrites have LREE-depleted patterns, high Nd_i and very low Pb isotopic ratios, suggesting that they were derived from an extremely depleted source. In contrast, the ankaramites and Mg-rich basalts are LREE-enriched and have radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions similar to the Galápagos HIMU component; their Nd_i are slightly lower than those of the picrites. Basalts, dolerites and gabbros differ from the picrites and ankaramites by flat rare earth element (REE) patterns and lower Nd; their Pb isotopic compositions are intermediate between those of the picrites and ankaramites. The ankaramites, Mg-rich basalts, and picrites differ from the lavas from the San Juan–Multitud Unit by higher Pb ratios and lower Nd_i.

The Ecuadorian and Gorgona 88–86 Ma picrites are geochemically similar. The Ecuadorian ankaramites and Mg-rich basalts share with the 92–86 Ma Mg-rich basalts of the Caribbean–Colombian Oceanic Plateau (CCOP) similar trace element and Nd and Pb isotopic chemistry. This suggests that the Pedernales and Guaranda units belong to the Late Cretaceous CCOP. The geochemical diversity of the Guaranda and Pedernales rocks illustrates the heterogeneity of the CCOP plume source and suggests a multi-stage model for the emplacement of these rocks. Stratigraphic and geological relations strongly suggest that the Guaranda unit was accreted in the late Maastrichtian (≈68–65 Ma).